Remembering Aaron Swartz: the open web icon (2014)
15 days ago
- #Civil Liberties
- #Online Surveillance
- #Aaron Swartz
- Aaron Swartz, a hacker and internet activist, committed suicide at 26, sparking global protests against online surveillance.
- Swartz co-created RSS, Reddit, and contributed to Creative Commons, advocating for free access to information.
- He faced legal trouble for downloading and releasing public domain documents from PACER and JSTOR, leading to severe charges.
- Federal prosecutors pursued aggressive charges against Swartz, including wire fraud and computer fraud, contributing to his distress.
- Swartz's suicide occurred before the NSA files were released, which shifted the conversation on civil liberties and surveillance.
- He was a key figure in opposing SOPA and PIPA, laws threatening internet freedom, leading to major online protests.
- February 11 is now 'The Day We Fight Back,' with campaigns like 'Don’t Spy On Us' advocating for privacy rights.
- The campaign demands include no surveillance without suspicion, an end to secret laws, and judicial oversight of spying.